Internet Fascination and Frustration
A Timesaver Proposal to CytometryNet Sites
G.Valet
- Fascination and frustration with the present www-Internet performance
are close together considering the promising potential
for cytometry in comparison to the frequently long waiting times
for data transfer as a practical drawback. Waiting times are especially
long on transport of graphic information or flow cytometry and image
data files. Since both elements are central to cytometric
work, the elimination of network waiting times is very essential for
the scientific progress in this field.
- Personal network waiting times are avoided in the following way:
Common network browsers like Netscape or Mosaic work either by
exclusive on-line URL (Universal Relocator) access, by
exclusive off-line URL access to local text
or image files on harddisks and CD-ROMs and finally by simultaneous
off/on-line access to local and remote www-homepages.
- The consequence of this is that on-line access for local
information can be avoided while on-line calls to remote
sites e.g. in www-node, E-mail or Telnet call buttons are perfectly
on-line serviced, provided the computer has on-line network access.
- This permits the unattended download of cytometric
homepages and subfiles (Purdue, ISAC, Martinsried) by automated
or semiautomated FTP(anonymous)
file transfer to local sites during the night or on
weekends where networks are less busy. The possibility of data compression
for .htm text files substantially reduces (60-70%) the number of
bytes to be transported through the network. Once the files are locally
available, one can off-line access them and migrate through the entire
network architecture by high speed local file access from harddisk. This
results in a clear gain of personal time and reduces network
overload.
- An interesting application of the combined approach is
its potential for the establishment of selfupdating cytometric
mirror sites on CytometryNet relay nodes
like Purdue, ISAC or Martinsried by FTP transfer.
The cytometric information can also be put on CD-ROMs for
off-line or combined off/on-line operation.
- Mirror downloads can be active (push) or passive (pull) or
a combination of both i.e. the individual home page
administrator could actively download the files onto mirror
nodes to assure fast updates at remote sites or leave it to remote mirror
node administrators or individual users to download the offered pages.
- Mirror sites as well as CD-ROMs could contain information on
e.g. STEP program, mailbox contents, shareware software, file
repositories, standardized classifiers, consensus documents, ring
trial etc. This would considerably speed up access time and avoid
transatlantic information downloading for many individual users.
- The proposal is therefore that cytometric laboratories interested
in this concept are willing to make their .htm and .GIF files available
on FTP(anonymous) servers for download and that they provide appropriate
download buttons on their home pages.
- The exclusive local access from CD-ROM is of interest for
non network attached institutions by providing www-homepage,
software, file repository, consensus and other cytometry information
e.g. for teaching or software development purposes.
- The details of the proposed approach are explained in the
"Off-line Internet" chapter on this node.
Internet Operation
Cytorelay
Off-line Internet, a timesaver !
Download
all Martinsried cytometry pages, check the concept,
follow the installation instructions (PC) and
display text and graphics from your harddisk without network delay
For problems or comments, please contact:
G.Valet E-mail:
valet@vms.biochem.mpg.de,
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie,
Am Klopferspitz 18a, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany,
Tel: +49/89/8578-2518, -2525, Fax: +49/89/8578-2563
INTERNET address: http://www.biochem.mpg.de/valet/cytorel.html
Last update: Sep.24, 1996
CD ROM Vol 2 was produced by staff at the Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories
and distributed free of charge as an educational service to the cytometry community.
If you have any comments please direct them to Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Professor & Director, PUCL,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone:(317) 494-0757; FAX (317) 494-0517; Web http://www.cyto.purdue.edu
EMAIL robinson@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu
